Although Elis Gruffydd spent the majority of his life as a soldier and an administrative officer, it was his work as a
chronicler,
transcriber, and translator that made him known. Though he was a soldier for the Tudor empire, he showed a continual interest in the welfare of Wales. His career as a military officer paralleled to his career as a writer, inspiring him to create an English style chronicle for his own Welshmen. Gruffydd's most important work was his famous chronicle of the world,
Chronicle of Six Ages of the World. Completed around 1552, the some 2,400-folio page work is divided into two parts. The first, NLW Manuscript 5276D describes the history of the world in six ages from Creation to the Christian Age. The second portion, labelled NLW Manuscript 3054D tells the history of England from the reign of
William the Conqueror in 1066 up to its published date in 1552. This part of the manuscript gave a look into Gruffydd's own life, as well as the lives of other Welsh people who emigrated from London to Calais. It also showed Welsh attitudes toward the Tudor kings
Henry VII and
Henry VIII, giving insight into Welsh history in an English cultural context. The work gave extensive narratives in written Welsh language, a trait scarcely seen before. Gruffydd commonly used himself as a source, which became evident further into the text. Frequently referencing his own experiences with Sir Robert Wingfield, he records important events such as meetings between King Henry VIII of England and King
Francis I of France on the Field of Cloth of Gold, as well as trials within the Court of Star Chamber. The immense document contains the earliest version of the
Taliesin Saga (
Hanes Taliesin or
Ystoria Taliesin) as well the earliest prose tale of
Gwion Bach. It also contains a version of the story of
Owain Glyndŵr, the
[Story of] Huail ap Caw [and Arthur], a version of "The Story of Myrddin the Wild", the story of ''Maelgwn Gwynedd's Wife and Ring
, and the Story of
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and Cynwrig Goch of Trefriw'' (). This document is one of the largest works ever written in the Welsh language, as well as Gruffydd's last work. Today it resides at the
National Library of Wales, in manuscripts
NLW MS. 5276D and NLW MS. 3054D (
olim Mostyn 158). Elis Gruffydd's perhaps second most important work was a journal he kept during Henry VIII's war in France. ''Elis Gruffydd and the 1544 'Enterprises' of Paris and Boulogne'' was transcribed by M. Bryn Davies. This journal gives remarkable detail into the military, social, and political life of war seen from the viewpoint of a soldier, a perspective rarely observed. As a member of the "Poor Bloody Infantry", Gruffydd revealed sympathies with the sufferings of the soldiers rather than their commanders, who he regularly barraged with harsh criticism. His narrative showed his opinionated, well-informed, and experienced view of the world. == Works ==